This semester at GO thirteen career prep students, dressed in their most professional attire and armed with polished resumes, took to the streets and subways of New York City to attend a Mock Interview event at Dow Jones.
Students participated in one-on-one mock interviews, breakout sessions on career development, and individualized resume reviews. The Dow Jones volunteers, who were all women, connected personally and professionally with the women of Grace Outreach. Many provided their contact information to GO’s students and encouraged them to remain in touch.
GO students were inspired by their interactions with the women of Dow Jones and motivated to pursue their goals. One student, Rayleen R., felt so encouraged that she confidently boasted to Liz Walsh, GO’s Career Prep Program Coordinator, “I wish I had an interview to go on right now because I know I would kill it!”
Another student, Wanda H., shared how emotional and empowering she found the event to be. She stated, “I have never had a day like this before. The Dow Jones women shared stories of their professional and personal journeys with me and urged me to recognize my value and worth. The number one thing I learned was to be confident in myself – to boast about myself, on my resume and in interviews. They showed me some areas where I got a little stuck in the mock interview and gave me tips for improving. In fact, I went home that night and decided to dedicate some time to career planning. I spent two hours researching some of the information they gave me and just thinking about my goals. It was amazing!”
Students who attended the event will be sending thank you emails to the Dow Jones volunteers and remaining in touch with these invaluable mentors and role models.